Chapter 117: Confrontation in the Golden Hall
The Empress met with Li Wei Yang in the side hall, this meeting obviously beyond Li Wei Yang’s expectation.
On both sides, tens of eunuchs wearing green brocade robes stood solemnly with hands cupped; Li Wei Yang leisurely walked past them tiptoeing her way up, the big hall filled with a certain kind of fragrance—she who had once lived in the palace knew that is the sandalwood precipitated from someone who has prayed to Buddha over a long time. And this Empress, for Li Wei Yang, she does know her a bit. She has followed Buddha for a long time, but it doesn’t mean that she is a kind person.
Li Wei Yang did not look up, she bent down in a bow, and after bowing, both eyes are on the floor without moving: “Royal subject’s daughter Wei Yang greets Your Majesty, the Empress.”
“Raise your head.” A dignified female voice entered her ear, this voice so clean and cold, so hard, like a cold jade.
Li Wei Yang raised her head. The Empress looks to be over 40, her stature rather small, but with a chilly bossiness, compared to Virtuous Consort Zhang, Consort Rou and others, her looks are considered average, or perhaps in order to conceal this, each time that Li Wei Yang met her, she always felt that her makeup is too solemn; it’s the same as well today, it’s just meeting the daughter of a subject yet she is wearing the nine-tails phoenix buyao(dangling hair ornament) in her hair, twined with pure gold necklace, when talking, that necklace is also quiver with a slight sound.
Li Wei Yang quickly lowered her gaze; staring at someone else’s eyes for a long period of time is extremely rude, especially when it’s someone like the Empress.
The Empress sat upright in her seat, her gaze on Li Wei Yang noble and cold-blooded; when seeing her too calm of a face, the Empress’s delicately and beautifully drawn brows couldn’t help tightening slightly. She thoroughly inquired about Li Wei Yang’s age, name and what seemed like regular family talk, but in fact was checking to see if her thinking is quick, her speaking is eloquent, even conferring her personality—those who are good at summing up people can, from the way she speaks, judge what kind of person she is.
Li Wei Yang did not show a trace of timidness, replying to the Empress’s questions calmly, her speech slow, her attitude respectful, definitely not low.
“Very good, I have heard His Majesty speak of you before, meeting you today, are really a smart girl..” the Empress nodded slightly, even though her mouth said “smart,” her face was still solemn.
Li Wei Yang only answered: “Thank you Your Majesty for your praise, I don’t deserve such honour.”
The Empress suddenly said a suspicious sentence: “I heard something happened yesterday.”
Sure enough it came. Li Wei Yang smiled slightly: “Not sure what Your Majesty is speaking of?”
The Empress laughed but didn’t answer; the rather small hall was instantly silent, only the lethargic calls of the thrush outside could be heard. In the light of the muggy afternoon, the Empress’s regular clothes were thin and purple, a peony sewn on the front left, extremely delicate and charming, stunningly beautiful. The Empress’s smile slowly disappeared, her voice quiet like water, slowly saying each word, each sentence: “Someone has falsely accused the fourth young master of the Jiangs for kidnapping the fifth miss of the Lis, is this true?”
Falsely accused, these two words have already determined the Empress’ attitude towards this incident. It makes Li Wei Yang feels like an all-over chilliness has rushed in, from the heart to the body; even the soul is cold.
She slowly raised her face, both eyes covered by her lashes, unable to see any expression, her lips rising in a cold smile, she calmly responded: “As Your Majesty said, the fourth young master of the Jiangs has kidnapped my sister.”
She left out these two words, “falsely accused;” the Empress’s eyes instantly widened, staring with a bit of disbelief at the seemingly calm girl in front of her. Meanwhile, Li Wei Yang actually seemed as though she had no fear; in those black eyes, a look flashed quickly, so quickly that the Empress’s heart suddenly became heavy.
She summoned her here to make her shut up about that incident, never to mention that matter again, but obviously, the other person doesn’t seem to understand her hint, unwilling to change her original intention.
It was surprisingly hot in the afternoon, outside the hall is quite fine, but inside the hall where there is not a bit of wind, it was hot like fire; because of this, the Empress’s mood become more agitated, she smiled coldly and said: “With such an incident happening, it will be hard for your sister to get married, do you still want to be stubborn?”
Therefore, the Empress wanted to be selfish, hoping that the Lis will take a loss, then marry a daughter off to the other side as a concubine. This and Jiang Nan’’s initial thought, are obviously exactly the same, after all there is still not a person who doesn’t care about their face and reputation; if it becomes bigger, no one will gain anything. Jiang Nan, sure that Li Wei Yang is a smart person, unwilling to become a nun or commit suicide, and therefore will definitely be willing to become a concubine, thus unscrupulously behaved this way, but he would have never thought that Li Wei Yang would drag out a Li Chang Xi. Towards the abandoned-by-the-family Li Chang Xi, the situation is completely different.
“Your Majesty, it’s not Wei Yang being stubborn, but rather at the time the incident was seen by many people.” Li Wei Yang said gently.
The Empress was speechless; of course she also knew that this incident is hard to deal with. If it was not hard, Guo Gong Furen would not struggle with her illness to come and beg her; thinking of this, the Empress’s dark eyes watched unwaveringly at Li Wei Yang: “You are a smart person, as long as you change your words, this incident can be solved.”
Li Wei Yang did not get mad, she just smiled warmly at the Empress and said: “Your Majesty, I will do as Your Majesty says, but what about Yao Daren? His public…? You do know that Yao Daren is stubborn and wouldn’t listen even to the Emperor’s words; when the time comes, the two testimonies would not match, His Majesty would think that I am lying to the ruler. This crime, how can I take responsibility?”
The Empress immediately frowned, her expression solemn, almost getting angry: “What you’re saying, in order for you to change your testimony, Yao Daren must also relent?”
Li Wei Yang said in grievance: “Your Majesty, I am stating the facts, otherwise what you want me to say, I will say.”
The Empress stared at her, not knowing what to say to her for a moment. To say that she disobeyed her edict, she did not say a word of disagreeing, but to say that she is meek, she didn’t even agree to anything. This yatou, is really as Guo Gong Furen said, she is slippery. She couldn’t help ripping that layer of paper on the window and said: “Don’t you understand my intention? I want you to say that your sister and Jiang Nan were dating! Understand?!”
It’s dating, not kidnapping! This is the Empress’s meaning.
Li Wei Yang was shocked and said: “Dating? Fifth sister and the fourth young master of the Jiangs were dating? I did not know at all! Aiya, this yatou is too bold, even saying that a date is kidnapping!”
The Empress suppressed the anger in her heart and stood up, her dress with the Zi Jin phoenix pattern pulling a slight sound, the palace maids on the side quickly bend down, not daring to raise their head. The Empress didn’t look kindly at Li Wei Yang and said slowly: “Do not skirt around it! I will repeat, when His Majesty asks you, you should know what you should say!”
Li Wei Yang bent like a bow and said: “This royal subject’s daughter solemnly respects Your Majesty’s edict.”
After Li Wei Yang left, the Empress pressed her forehead; she is beginning to feel confused whether this yatou is really foolish or pretending to be confused. If she can persuade Yao Chang Qing, that old bone, would she still need her to change her testimony? As long as the witness changes testimony, then there can be an end to this....
A palace maid saw that her mistress was having a headache and couldn’t help shaking her head; Her Majesty has physically and mentally exhausted herself for the Crown Prince for the past two years, to the point that she didn’t even see through this little yatou. That person has clearly agreed to nothing, but she still thought that she had already achieved her goal…